A Sibbing Sunset with the Gurnard

[The Gurnard]

Now that I have my SIB in the water again, for another summer season off the West Coast of Scotland, I thought I would celebrate with a wild camp on one of my favourite beaches.

Not a single soul to disturb my wild camp experience ... even the midges left me alone. Every picture is worth a thousand words of my rambling.



http://s30.postimg.org/4omivyyw1/sunset_2.jpg







Then it was gone ... did I over do the Arran Sunset Beer and imagine it all ?




Not at all.. my photos showed me it was for real... and for a hair of the dog.. here is a photo of the morning after



This is only a taste of my two day adventure.

If there was an interest ..I could easily share the rest of the journey with you, but you have to supply your own tipple.

[Crusher]

Stunning, just stunning.....


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

[kerny]

Excellent you should start up a RIBnet SIB magazine. You would do well.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Wow, they're some great shots!

[JamesF]

I can just see the first one as a glossy ad in a magazine; the second looks like holiday brochure material.

For the rest, I just wonder which one you're going to have printed on canvas and framed

[The Gurnard]

Thanks for looking in guys.. ...its appreciated

And like all pub bores .... I would probably tell you about my adventure.... where there was an interest or not. But first I have to go help my daughter fit a new kitchen.

Hi JamesF... I have hardrives overflowing with photos and don’t print any..but it wasn’t the best sunset I have seen. This was.. two years ago... just up from Arisaig ... so not far from the same spot








I will tell about my journey shortly.. so stay on the same channel.. and remember .. emergency is channel 16

[beerbelly]

fantastic were taking ours up to clachtol beach campsite way up past ullapool on the west coast early august those pics have made me look forward to it even more

[spartacus]

Fantastic pictures. I'm heading over to Lewis in late July. This just whet my appetite for the good days to come.

[The Gurnard]

My mini adventure started at Loch Ailort on Thursday, but had been in the planning for a while.

Before going to sea in a SIB, I need to know the weather forecast for wind strength and direction, the times of the tides, and what strong currents or tide races may be encountered on my journey.

The weather forecast was looking good.. not gusty winds.. slightly variable though..and a moderate to calm sea..perfect for me.

Tides were great for wild camping. High tide on Thursday evening as around 7pm. This meant I could beach the boat around 9pm.. it would then stay put on the sand until I was ready to leave again around 6am to 7am when the incoming tide would refloat me. The only problem I had with the tide times was I knew it would be hard work launching at low tide during early Thursday afternoon..but I knew I could work round that part

Admiralty charts of the area I was around showed nothing to worry about regarding strong currents.

I was good to go.

Arriving at Loch Ailort.. I discovered around half a dozen kayakers messing around on the old public slipway so decided to beach launch a little further down the loch. I also felt it was safer to abandon my car at this point rather than at the slipway. I often camp overnight beside this road and never had any trouble in the past. I towed the trailered SIB onto the foreshore with the four wheel drive.



The trailer and SIB combined ... are too heavy for me to manhandle across the 100m or so of rocky shore at low tide ... but by pulling the SIB off the trailer onto inflatable boat rollers ... it was a doddle to get it into the water.

I hauled the 25hp outboard on a sack trolley. Notice the way I keep the outboard mounting brackets away from the sack trolley. The trolley and outboard go into a foot deep water... then I just pull the floating SIB backwards into the outboard mounting brackets. When ready, weight on the transom pushes the SIB below the brackets and then floats up inside them. It means I never lift the full 52kg weight of the outboard at any time.



Loch Ailort was still very shallow when I left shore. My fish finder... which has never found me a fish in its life ... is very good at telling the depth. It was around 5ft to 6ft at this part of the loch ... so I kept the SIB at displacement speed. I didn’t want to whack the prop off a rock at planning speed.



Once I was half way down the loch and the depth levelled off around 20ft... I happily put her on the plane, headed for the gap between the two islands that mark the end of the loch and the start of the open sea. The island of Egg looked very inviting ..far beyond the islands of loch Ailort.



Once I was out the shelter of the loch... I found the sea was a little bouncy ... so I was glad I wasn’t going to Egg. Instead I turned left ... or should that be port ..and headed down the coastline. I kept switching between fast displacement speed and plane speed to prevent the SIB shaking itself to bits on the chop.



I was heading for a remote, sandy point that I know. Its an ideal camping spot and a great base for my adventure for the following morning.



It didn’t take me long to do the nine miles to the sandy point. One side of the point points north and had the swell breaking on it, so I landed on the sheltered southern side. I was delighted to find I had the place to myself. I felt the stress of working life leave as I stepped ashore and looked around. Its been two years since I last put foot on these sands.



I can be a wordy bugger when I start telling my adventures..so look back later I will tell a little more of my story.

Until then..here is a few words from Sea Fever


I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

[Peter_C]

I so wish we had islands to camp onn aorund me. Waaay up North in Seattle Washiington, 16+ hour drive, there is the Puget Sound we will one day visit and tour around in our boat. Of course there are also bears to worry about on some of those islands.

Please share your adventures since some of us will never get to visit the beautiful places you do.

[willgrf72]

Love the pics and narrative. The shot reminds me so much of the Bahamas and I miss them!

[willgrf72]

But back down to reality, here's Poole harbour thru rose tinted spectacles!

[The Gurnard]

Im sure you will have a great time at Clachtoll Beerbelly. I can never make up my mind which is the most attractive beach there. Clachtoll itself



Or Achmelvich which is just before Clachtoll. They can both get a bit of surf at time though



A trip around the Summer Ilses at Ullapool is another fav journey of mine. I once did them in a 2.8m slat floor Seago SIB.with a 2.5HP engine. I was a bit madder in those days though

Sorry Spartacus but I have no photos of Lewis... I will get there some day ....in my quest to “bag” all sea lochs in Scotland :-D

I would love to go to the Bahamas Willgrif72 ..but I doubt I could afford it now. The sea at Poole ... looks better than the sea at Stirling where I live. Thanks for sharing your photos

[The Gurnard]

Hi peter ..sorry I missed your reply..and I will certainly share this adventure. ...hey I will even tell about my restless sleep.. dreaming of worse than bears

Just stay tuned to this channel ..and listen to Channel 16 too

[lockieboi]

Looks fantastic.

I'd like to camp on a secluded beach one day that's only accessible by boat.

Not many of them in kent though!

[beerbelly]

[QUOTE=The Gurnard;622486]Im sure you will have a great time at Clachtoll Beerbelly. I can never make up my mind which is the most attractive beach there. Clachtoll itself



Or Achmelvich which is just before Clachtoll. They can both get a bit of surf at time though



now that looks like it will be fun in me mrs kayak

[The Gurnard]

Hi again guys..been a busy day for me today..so a bit late in updating my adventure.

I had just landed on the perfect deserted beach.and had a quick look round. Its a small point.. surrounded by sea on three sides, and backed with cliffs on the landward side. There are fantastic views over to the islands of Egg Rum and Muck



I pitched my Tesco Value Tent on the grass verge surrounding the sandy shore



While keeping an eye on my SIB. I didn’t want it to get stranded in the falling tide just yes.



Because I was now getting hungry and wanted some dinner... so took the SIB for a spot of fishing on the reefs not far from my campsite



However I only caught a couple of small saithe which I threw back. No good for dinner or even bait for other fish



Starving and fishless I looked back to my deserted beach and tent, nestled below the imposing cliffs and decided to land again



To break open the emergency rations of... best Aberdeen Angus Beefburgers ..followed by Strawberries for dessert



Yup... It can be a hard life living on a desert Island

I then built my campfire. I don’t use stone rings with my wild camp fires because I see no purpose for them... and hate seeing others leaving rings from campfires.

I build the fire on the sand and bring good wood for burning with me ... so when its finished... there is very little ash. Then it is scooped up in a bucket and left below high water line... so the tide removes all trace of my being there. I just wish others would do the same....

Take only photos and leave only footprints.



I then settled down for the evening with a few beers and enjoyed the sunset shown in my first post

I will tell of my next day part of this adventure tomorrow. In it, I disappear up the back passage into Loch Moidart... so do return to see what that is all about. Thanks for reading this far.

[beerbelly]

excellent keep it coming

[gennaro]

Great stuff. Cant wait for next episode

[A1an]

Ah, it WAS you I saw on Saturday, (or was it Friday eve) I was standing on the roadside at Locheil Outward Bound Centre, just about to cross and open the gate to the slip when you past, it was the loaded SIB that I spotted first, I was sure it was yourself.